the huge budget arguments about to take place, the huge deficit spending stuff, the huge we're going to face it again, you know, debt ceiling stuff, what is the republican strategy in dealing with the democrats? david. >> you know, mike, i was on capitol hill this week talking to top republicans, and i'm getting a sense and you're seeing it written about as well, that they would maybe like to step away from the brink about the debt ceiling. they do want to force the issue about how can they get this president to agree to additional spending cuts? the debt ceiling is a dangerous game. i think they recognize that politically. they'll push -- the question is how -- how do they push on the debt ceiling? do they say, look, we'll give you a short-term extension of the debt ceiling for a certain amount of spending cuts, or we'll give you a long-term extension like you want for even more spending cuts. can they force entitlement reform around medicare, for instance, even some of the -- in their view -- more limited things that the president wants to do around means testing and age and indexi